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A recent study published in Experimental Physiology details the first Canadian study to investigate the physiological, psychological, and cognitive responses to 14 days of bed rest and the benefits of exercise during bed rest. The study involved 23 older male and female participants who completed 14 days of bed rest, followed by supervised rehabilitation. Half of the participants performed aerobic and resistance exercise during bed rest to test its effectiveness as a countermeasure. The study provides important insights into the physiological responses to inactivity and may help inform future countermeasure development. Bed rest studies are also relevant for understanding periods of hospitalization and testing countermeasures for microgravity and severe inactivity. [Extracted from the article]

The Declaration of Legal Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space from 1962 describes space as a new frontier that is understood by the United Nations as an inspiration and a prospect for a brighter future for humanity. The declaration describes space in almost religious terms and commits nations to high standards conduct when engaging in space exploration. With the advent of NewSpace and private actors in space exploration it seems necessary to look at the spirit and the religious undertones of the declaration and see where it is still applicable and where a comparison of space exploration and the religious promise of the original declaration can help shape the future of space exploration today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ground‐based animal models have been used extensively to understand the effects of microgravity on various physiological systems. Among them, hindlimb suspension (HLS), developed in 1979 in rats, remains the gold‐standard and allows researchers to study the consequences of total unloading of the hind limbs while inducing a cephalic fluid shift. While this model has already brought valuable insights to space biology, few studies have directly compared functional decrements in the muscles of males and females during HLS. We exposed 28 adult Wistar rats (14 males and 14 females) to 14 days of HLS or normal loading (NL) to better assess how sex impacts disuse‐induced muscle deconditioning. Females better maintained muscle function during HLS than males, as shown by a more moderate reduction in grip strength at 7 days (males: −37.5 ± 3.1%, females: −22.4 ± 6.5%, compared to baseline), that remains stable during the second week of unloading (males: −53.3 ± 5.7%, females: −22.4 ± 5.5%, compared to day 0) while the males exhibit a steady decrease over time (effect of sex × loading p = 0.0002, effect of sex × time × loading p = 0.0099). This was further supported by analyzing the force production in response to a tetanic stimulus. Further functional analyses using force production were also shown to correspond to sex differences in relative loss of muscle mass and CSA. Moreover, our functional data were supported by histomorphometric analyzes, and we highlighted differences in relative muscle loss and CSA. Specifically, female rats seem to experience a lesser muscle deconditioning during disuse than males thus emphasizing the need for more studies that will assess male and female animals concomitantly to develop tailored, effective countermeasures for all astronauts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise: Light and gravity are fundamental cues for plant development. Our understanding of the effects of light stimuli on plants in space, without gravity, is key to providing conditions for plants to acclimate to the environment. Here we tested the hypothesis that the alterations caused by the absence of gravity in root meristematic cells can be counteracted by light. Methods: Seedlings of wild‐type Arabidopsis thaliana and two mutants of the essential nucleolar protein nucleolin (nuc1, nuc2) were grown in simulated microgravity, either under a white light photoperiod or under continuous darkness. Key variables of cell proliferation (cell cycle regulation), cell growth (ribosome biogenesis), and auxin transport were measured in the root meristem using in situ cellular markers and transcriptomic methods and compared with those of a 1 g control. Results: The incorporation of a photoperiod regime was sufficient to attenuate or suppress the effects caused by gravitational stress at the cellular level in the root meristem. In all cases, values for variables recorded from samples receiving light stimuli in simulated microgravity were closer to values from the controls than values from samples grown in darkness. Differential sensitivities were obtained for the two nucleolin mutants. Conclusions: Light signals may totally or partially replace gravity signals, significantly improving plant growth and development in microgravity. Despite that, molecular alterations are still compatible with the expected acclimation mechanisms, which need to be better understood. The differential sensitivity of nuc1 and nuc2 mutants to gravitational stress points to new strategies to produce more resilient plants to travel with humans in new extraterrestrial endeavors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simulated microgravity (s‐μg) devices provide unique conditions for elucidating the effects of gravitational unloading on biological processes and are increasingly being applied for mechanobiology studies. However, without proper characterization of the mechanical environment generated by these systems, the interpretation of results is confounded and limited. Furthermore, the cell culture approaches central to s‐μg experimentation introduces new factors that can fundamentally affect results, but these are currently not addressed. It is essential to understand the complete culture environment and how constituent conditions can individually and synergistically affect cellular responses in order to correctly interpret results, otherwise outcomes may be misattributed to the effects of microgravity alone. For the benefit of the growing space biology community, this article critically reviews a typical s‐μg cell culture environment in terms of three key conditions: fluid‐mediated mechanical stimuli, oxygen tension and biochemical. These and the implications of other experimental variables for biological analysis are categorically discussed. A new set of controls is proposed to properly evaluate the respective effects of these conditions in s‐μg culture, along with a reporting matrix and potential strategies for addressing the current limitations of simulated microgravity devices as a platform for mechanobiology research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microalgae are photosynthetic microorganisms that use sunlight as an energy source, and convert water, carbon dioxide, and inorganic salts into algal biomass. The isolation and selection of microalgae, which allow one to obtain large amounts of biomass and valuable compounds, is a prerequisite for their successful industrial production. This work provides an overview of extremophile algae, where their ability to grow under harsh conditions and the corresponding accumulation of metabolites are addressed. Emphasis is placed on the high‐value products of some prominent algae. Moreover, the most recent applications of these microorganisms and their potential exploitation in the context of astrobiology are taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current goals of the astrobiology community are focused on developing a framework for the detection of biosignatures, or evidence thereof, on objects inside and outside of our solar system. A fundamental aspect of understanding the limits of habitable environments (surface liquid water) and detectable signatures thereof is the study of where the boundaries of such environments can occur. Such studies provide the basis for understanding how a once inhabitable planet might come to be uninhabitable. The archetype of such a planet is arguably Earth's sibling planet, Venus. Given the need to define the conditions that can rule out bio-related signatures of exoplanets, Venus provides a unique opportunity to explore the processes that led to a completely uninhabitable environment by our current definition of the term. Here we review the current state of knowledge regarding Venus, particularly in the context of remote-sensing techniques that are being or will be employed in the search for and characterization of exoplanets. We discuss candidate Venus analogs identified by the Kepler and TESS exoplanet missions and provide an update to exoplanet demographics that can be placed in the potential runaway greenhouse regime where Venus analogs are thought to reside. We list several major outstanding questions regarding the Venus environment and the relevance of those questions to understanding the atmospheres and interior structure of exoplanets. Finally, we outline the path toward a deeper analysis of our sibling planet and the synergy to exoplanetary science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: High‐strength polymers, such as aramid fibres, are important materials in space technology. To obtain these materials in remote locations, such as Mars, biological production is of interest. The aromatic polymer precursor para‐aminobenzoic acid (pABA) can be derived from the shikimate pathway through metabolic engineering of Bacillus subtilis, an organism suited for space synthetic biology. Our engineering strategy included repair of the defective indole‐3‐glycerol phosphate synthase (trpC), knockout of one chorismate mutase isozyme (aroH) and overexpression of the aminodeoxychorismate synthase (pabAB) and aminodeoxychorismate lyase (pabC) from the bacteria Corynebacterium callunae and Xenorhabdus bovienii respectively. Further, a fusion‐protein enzyme (pabABC) was created for channelling of the carbon flux. Using adaptive evolution, mutants of the production strain, able to metabolize xylose, were created, to explore and compare pABA production capacity from different carbon sources. Rather than the efficiency of the substrate or performance of the biochemical pathway, the product toxicity, which was strongly dependent on the pH, appeared to be the overall limiting factor. The highest titre achieved in shake flasks was 3.22 g l−1 with a carbon yield of 12.4% [C‐mol/C‐mol] from an amino sugar. This promises suitability of the system for in situ resource utilization (ISRU) in space biotechnology, where feedstocks that can be derived from cyanobacterial cell lysate play a role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Despite the awe and wonder that discoveries related to astrobiology inspire, the sheer volume and diversity of new discoveries related to space science can become overwhelming without meaningful frames of reference by which to organize our understanding of these phenomena. I suggest that a critical feature of the future of “astrotheology” relates to how it serves as an organizing correlate to astrobiology and space research. Considering that the prefix astro‐ has an amplicative and abductive effect on the fields of study to which it is applied, I contend that astrotheology implies a creative and constructive shift in how we conceptualize meaningful human being for theology that parallels how astrobiology effects a creative and constructive shift in how we conceptualize living systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The identification of conditions suitable for life is considered a key element of modern-day astronomy, astrophysics, and astrobiology. This research encompasses the environments of stars of different spectral types and evolutionary status. In this article, we focus on the possibility of habitable moons in selected F-star systems. Materials and Methods We explore the astrobiological significance of F-type stars of spectral type between F5 V and F9.5 V, which possess Jupiter-type planets within or close to their climatological habitable zones. These planets, or at least a subset of those, may also possess rocky exomoons, which potentially offer habitable environments. Our work considers eight selected systems. The Jupiter-type planets in these systems are in notably differing orbits with eccentricities between 0.08 (about Mars) and 0.72. We consider the stellar UV environments provided by the photospheric stellar radiation, which allows us to compute the UV habitable zones for the systems. Following previous studies, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is taken as a proxy for carbon-based macromolecules following the paradigm that extraterrestrial biology might be based on hydrocarbons. Results We found that the damage inflicted on DNA is notably different for the range of systems studied, and also varies according to the orbit of the Jupiter-type planet, especially for systems of high ellipticity, as expected. Furthermore, the UV levels in the CLI-HZs of the F-type stars are generally more severe than for the solar environment, except for regions beyond the outer limits of the general habitable zones. Particular emphasis was placed on locations akin to Earth-equivalent (i.e., homeothermic) positions in the Solar System. The general conditions of habitability in F-star systems are also affected by the rapidness of stellar evolution; nonetheless, based on previous research on the origin of life on Earth, a generally favorable assessment about the overall possibility of life around F-type stars can be conveyed. For some systems studied here, excessive values of damage are attained if compared to today's Earth or during the Archean eon. Conclusion Considering that the detection of exomoons around different types of stars will remain challenging in the foreseeable future, we view our work also as an example and template for investigating the combined requirements of climatological and UV-based habitability for exosolar objects. Further studies for systems of stars with other spectral types and/or other evolutionary status will be considered as part of our future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Pale Blue Dot' and 'Anthropocene' are common tropes in astrobiology and often appear in ethical arguments. Both support a decentering of human life relative to biological life in terms of value. This article introduces a typology of life-value narratives: hierarchical narratives with human life above other life and holistic narratives with human life among other life. Astrobiology, through the two tropes, supports holistic narratives, but this should not be viewed as opposed to Christianity. Rather, Christian scriptures provide seeds of both hierarchical and holistic narratives, each of which may flourish in different environments. By attending to which aspects of human life are valued-or disvalued-relative to biological life, we can better understand how life-concepts do work in ethics, anthropology, and soteriology in secular as well as theological contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astrochristology, as a subfield within the more comprehensive astrotheology, speculates on the implications of what astrobiology and related space sciences learn about our future space neighbors. Confirmation of the existence of extraterrestrial intelligent civilizations living on exoplanets will force Christian theologians to decide on two issues. The first issue deals with the question: should Christians expect many incarnations, one for each inhabited exoplanet; or will the single incarnation in terrestrial history suffice? The second issue deals with the question: why is there an incarnation in the first place? Does the divine presence in the historical Jesus mark a divine attempt to fix a broken creation or does it mark a divine self-communication that would occur with or without creation's fall into sin and death? Sorting these issues out is one task for astrochristology. My own position is to affirm both a single incarnation on Earth valid for cosmic redemption from the brokenness of creation in its present state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raman spectroscopy has been identified as a powerful tool for astrobiology and remote robotic planetary exploration. It can be used to identify and characterise rock matrices, mineral inclusions and organic molecules and is demonstrably effective at identifying biomarkers, or indicators of biological activity. The ExoMars rover, jointly operated by the European and Russian Federal Space Agencies, will carry the first Raman spectrometer into space when it launches in 2018 and two further Raman instruments have recently been announced as part of the payload onboard the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Mars 2020 rover. Each of these spectrometers however will, by necessity, have poorer resolution than the most sophisticated laboratory instruments because of mass, volume and power constraints and the space readiness of the requisite technologies. As a result, it is important to understand the minimum instrument specification required to achieve the scientific objectives of a mission, in terms of parameters such as spectral resolution and laser footprint size. This requires knowledge of the target minerals and molecules between which there may be ambiguity when identifying bands in spectra from geological samples. Here, we present spectra from a number of Mars analogue samples that include a range of such molecules, highlighting where such confusion may occur and identifying the most useful bands for differentiation. It is recommended that a Raman spectrometer achieves a resolution of at least 3 cm−1 and covers a spectral range from 100 to 4000 cm−1 in order to differentiate between all of the target molecules presented here. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the bone marrow, the endosteal niche plays a crucial role in B-cell differentiation. Because spaceflight is associated with osteoporosis, we investigated whether changes in bone microstructure induced by a ground-based model of spaceflight, hind limb unloading (HU), could affect B lymphopoiesis. To this end, we analyzed both bone parameters and the frequency of early hematopoietic precursors and cells of the B lineage after 3, 6,13, and 21 d of HU. We found that limb disuse leads to a decrease in both bone microstructure and the frequency of B-cell progenitors in the bone marrow. Although multipotent hematopoietic progenitors were not affected by HU, a decrease in B lymphopoiesis was observed as of the common lymphoid progenitor (CLP) stage with a major block at the progenitor B (pro-B) to precursor B (pre-B) cell transition (5- to 10-fold decrease). The modifications in B lymphopoiesis were similar to those observed in aged mice and, as with aging, decreased B-cell generation in HU mice was associated with reduced expression of B-cell transcription factors, early B-cell factor (EBF) and Pax5, and an alteration in STAT5-mediated IL-7 signaling. These findings demonstrate that mechanical unloading of hind limbs results in a decrease in early B-cell differentiation resembling age-related modifications in B lymphopoiesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A short overview on the effects of real and simulated microgravity on certain cell components and processes, including new information obtained recently, is presented. Attention is focused on the influence of real and simulated microgravity on plant cells that are not specialised to gravity perception and on seed formation. The paper considers the possibility of full adaptation of plants to microgravity, and suggests some questions for future plant research in order to make decisions on fundamental and applied problems of plant space biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cultivation of higher plants in Space involves not only the development of new agro-technologies for the design of ecologically closed Space greenhouses, but also understanding of the effects of Space factors on biological systems. Among Space factors, ionising radiation is one of the main constraints to the growth of organisms. In this paper, we analyse the effect of low- LET radiation on leaf histology and cytology in Phaseolus vulgaris L. plants subjected to increasing doses of X-rays (0.3, 10, 50, 100 Gy). Leaves irradiated at tissue maturity were compared with not-irradiated controls. Semi-thin sections of leaves were analysed through light and epi-fluorescence microscopy. Digital image analysis was applied to quantify anatomical parameters, with a specific focus on the occurrence of signs of structural damage as well as alterations at subcellular level, such as the accumulation of phenolic compounds and chloroplast size. Results showed that even at high levels of radiation, general anatomical structure was not severely perturbed. Slight changes in mesophyll density and cell enlargement were detected at the highest level of radiation. However, at 100 Gy, higher levels of phenolic compounds accumulated along chloroplast membranes: this accompanied an increase in number of chloroplasts. The reduced content of chlorophylls at high levels of radiation was associated with reduced size of the chloroplasts. All data are discussed in terms of the possible role of cellular modifications in the maintenance of high radioresistance and photosynthetic efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Before plants can be effectively utilised as a component of enclosed life-support systems for space exploration, it is important to understand the molecular mechanisms by which they develop in microgravity. Using the Biological Research in Canisters ( BRIC) hardware on board the second to the last flight of the Space Shuttle Discovery ( STS-131 mission), we studied how microgravity impacts root growth in Arabidopsis thaliana. Ground-based studies showed that the actin cytoskeleton negatively regulates root gravity responses on Earth, leading us to hypothesise that actin might also be an important modulator of root growth behaviour in space. We investigated how microgravity impacted root growth of wild type (ecotype Columbia) and a mutant ( act2-3) disrupted in a root-expressed vegetative actin isoform ( ACTIN2). Roots of etiolated wild-type and act2-3 seedlings grown in space skewed vigorously toward the left, which was unexpected given the reduced directional cue provided by gravity. The left-handed directional root growth in space was more pronounced in act2-3 mutants than wild type. To quantify differences in root orientation of these two genotypes in space, we developed an algorithm where single root images were converted into binary images using computational edge detection methods. Binary images were processed with Fast Fourier Transformation ( FFT), and histogram and entropy were used to determine spectral distribution, such that high entropy values corresponded to roots that deviated more strongly from linear orientation whereas low entropy values represented straight roots. We found that act2-3 roots had a statistically stronger skewing/coiling response than wild-type roots, but such differences were not apparent on Earth. Ultrastructural studies revealed that newly developed cell walls of space-grown act2-3 roots were more severely disrupted compared to space-grown wild type, and ground control wild-type and act2-3 roots. Collectively, our results provide evidence that, like root gravity responses on Earth, endogenous directional growth patterns of roots in microgravity are suppressed by the actin cytoskeleton. Modulation of root growth in space by actin could be facilitated in part through its impact on cell wall architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between fundamental plant biology and space biology was especially synergistic in the era of the Space Shuttle. While all terrestrial organisms are influenced by gravity, the impact of gravity as a tropic stimulus in plants has been a topic of formal study for more than a century. And while plants were parts of early space biology payloads, it was not until the advent of the Space Shuttle that the science of plant space biology enjoyed expansion that truly enabled controlled, fundamental experiments that removed gravity from the equation. The Space Shuttle presented a science platform that provided regular science flights with dedicated plant growth hardware and crew trained in inflight plant manipulations. Part of the impetus for plant biology experiments in space was the realization that plants could be important parts of bioregenerative life support on long missions, recycling water, air, and nutrients for the human crew. However, a large part of the impetus was that the Space Shuttle enabled fundamental plant science essentially in a microgravity environment. Experiments during the Space Shuttle era produced key science insights on biological adaptation to spaceflight and especially plant growth and tropisms. In this review, we present an overview of plant science in the Space Shuttle era with an emphasis on experiments dealing with fundamental plant growth in microgravity. This review discusses general conclusions from the study of plant spaceflight biology enabled by the Space Shuttle by providing historical context and reviews of select experiments that exemplify plant space biology science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Atacama Desert, located in northern Chile, is the driest and oldest Desert on Earth. Research aimed at the understanding of this unique habitat and its diverse microbial ecosystems begun only a few decades ago, mainly driven by NASA’s astrobiology program. A milestone in these efforts was a paper published in 2003, when the Atacama was shown to be a proper model of Mars. From then on, studies have been focused to examine every possible niche suitable for microbial life in this extreme environment. Habitats as different as the underside of quartz rocks, fumaroles at the Andes Mountains, the inside of halite evaporates and caves of the Coastal Range, among others, have shown that life has found ingenious ways to adapt to extreme conditions such as low water availability, high salt concentration and intense UV radiation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We describe a significant practical consequence of taking anthropic biases into account in deriving predictions for rare stochastic catastrophic events. The risks associated with catastrophes such as asteroidal/cometary impacts, supervolcanic episodes, and explosions of supernovae/gamma-ray bursts are based on their observed frequencies. As a result, the frequencies of catastrophes that destroy or are otherwise incompatible with the existence of observers are systematically underestimated. We describe the consequences of this anthropic bias for estimation of catastrophic risks, and suggest some directions for future work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

•The aim of this study was to investigate phototropism in plants grown in microgravity conditions without the complications of a 1- g environment. Experiments performed on the International Space Station (ISS) were used to explore the mechanisms of both blue-light- and red-light-induced phototropism in plants. •This project utilized the European Modular Cultivation System (EMCS), which has environmental controls for plant growth as well as centrifuges for gravity treatments used as a 1- g control. Images captured from video tapes were used to analyze the growth, development, and curvature of Arabidopsis thaliana plants that developed from seed in space. •A novel positive phototropic response to red light was observed in hypocotyls of seedlings that developed in microgravity. This response was not apparent in seedlings grown on Earth or in the 1- g control during the space flight. In addition, blue-light-based phototropism had a greater response in microgravity compared with the 1- g control. •Although flowering plants are generally thought to lack red light phototropism, our data suggest that at least some flowering plants may have retained a red light sensory system for phototropism. Thus, this discovery may have important implications for understanding the evolution of light sensory systems in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a 1991 editorial in The FASB Journal, Robert W. Krauss commented on a recent report of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Future of the U.S. Space Program (Augustine report). He concluded that, although a manned mission to Mars with life sciences as the priority was endorsed by the Committee, it failed to deal realistically with one huge gap; biological sciences have never been given high priority. According to Krauss, this left a void that will cripple, perhaps fatally, any early effort to ensure long-term survival on any mission of extended duration. The gap included insufficient flight time for fundamental biological space research and insufficient funds. Krauss expressed his opinions 15 years ago. Have we better knowledge of space biology now? This question becomes more acute now that President George W. Bush recently proposed a manned return to the moon by 2015 or 2020, with the moon to become our staging post for manned missions to Mars. Will we be ready so soon? A review of the progress in the last 15 years suggests that we will not. Because of the Columbia disaster, flight opportunities for biological sciences in shuttle spacelabs and in Space Station laboratories compete with time for engineering problems and construction. Thus, research on gravity, radiation, and isolation loses out to problems deemed to be of higher priority. Radiation in deep space and graded gravity in space with on board centrifuges are areas that must be studied before we undertake prolonged space voyages. Very recent budgetary changes within National Aeronautics and Space Administration threaten to greatly reduce the fundamental space biology funds. Are we ready for a trip to Mars? Like Krauss 15 years ago, I think not for some time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing a reliable plant growth system for crop production in space requires the understanding of pore fled distribution in porous media under microgravity. The objective of this experimental investigation, which was conduced aboard NASA KC-135 reduced gravity flight, is to study possible particle separation and the distribution of discontinuous wetting fluid in porous media under microgravity. KC-135 aircraft prodded gravity conditions of 1, 1.8, and 10-2 g. Glass beads of a known size distribution were used as porous media; and Hexadecane, a petroleum compound immiscible with and lighter than water, was used as wetting fluid at residual saturation. Nitrogen freezer was used to solidify the discontinuous Hexadecane ganglia in glass beads to preserve the ganglia size changes during Afferent gravity conditions, so that the blob-size distributions (BSDs) could be measured after flight. It was concluded from this study that microgravity has little effect on the size distribution of pore fluid blobs corresponding to residual saturation of wetting fluids in porous media. The blobs showed no noticeable breakup or coalescence during microgravity. However, based on the increase in bulk volume of samples due to particle separation under microgravity, groups of particles, within which pore fluid blobs were encapsuled, appeared to have rearranged themselves under microgravity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information concerning the biodynamics, as well as the developments in smart materials and responsive buildings in Great Britain. The developments in smart materials and responsive buildings are at the forefront of scientific and ethnical advances in engineering. In the morphogenesis of biological organisms, it is the animation of geometry and material that produce form.

Over the past decade, planets have been discovered that orbit other stars, a vast ocean has been detected below the icy crust of Jupiter's satellite, Europa, and fossils have been reported in a rock from Mars. On Earth, micro-organisms have been identified that inhabit environments previously thought to be too inhospitable to support life. All these observations have helped to define the interdisciplinary subject that has come to be known as astrobiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present paper I review symptoms of stress at the level of the nucleus in cells of plants grown in space under nonoptimized conditions. It remains to be disclosed to what extent gravity "unloading" in the space environment directly contributes to the low mitotic index and the chromosomal anomalies and damage that is frequently, but not invariably, demonstrable in space-grown plants. Evaluation of the available facts indicates that indirect effects play a major role and that there is a significant biological component to the susceptibility to stress damage equation as well. Much remains to be learned on how to provide strictly controlled, optimal environments for plant growth in space. Only after optimized controls become possible will one be able to attribute any observed space effects to lowered gravity or to other significant but more indirect effects of the space environment.

Plantlets of daylily (Hemerocallis cv. Autumn Blaze) regenerated from cell suspensions, and 4 clonal populations of Haplopappus gracilis were aseptically cultivated aboard the Shuttle "Discovery" during a 5-day mission within NASA'S Plant Growth Unit (PGU) apparatus. Daylily was selected as a representative herbaceous perennial monocotyledon and the haplopappus clones represented an annual dicotyledon. The latter included 4 strains with different physiological and morphological characteristics: two aseptic seedling clones (each generated from a single seedling) and two tissue culture-derived lines. Mean daily growth rates for the primary shoots of all plantlets averaged 4.13mm day-1 (SD = 2.20) for the flight experiment and 4.68mm day-1 (sn = 2.59) for the ground control. Comparable growth rates calculated by summing both the primary and secondary shoots for all plantlets were 5.94mm day-1 (SD = 2.89) for the flight experiment and 6.38 mm day-1 (sn = 3.71) for the control. Statistically significant differences existed between: (1) flight vs control primary shoot growth (the controls growing more than plantlets subjected to spaceflight conditions). (2) the different populations (the daylily gaining more shoot material than any of the haplopappus populations and the haplopappus seedling clones outperforming the tissue culture-derived haplopappus lines), and (3) the individual Plant Growth Chambers contained within the PGU. The data suggest that some spaceflight-associated factor(s) increased the tendency for primary shoot apices to degrade or senesce, resulting in the release of apical dominance and permitting the emergence of axillary branches, which subsequently partially compensated for the reduced primary axis growth. In addition to spaceflight-associated factors, the physiologically diverse nature of the experimental material as well as environmental heterogeneities within the culture apparatus contributed to the variation in growth results. The findings could explain some discrepancies reported from various plant culture experiments conducted in space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Founded in 1969 in response to the recognition that environmental stressors result in human germ-cell mutagenesis and cancer, the original Environmental Mutagen Society (EMS) quickly became the "go-to" society for researchers seeking genome-related, cutting-edge science, for regulatory agencies seeking to understand the risks incurred, and for individuals from academia, government, and industry with interests in related disciplines. Within a few years, EMS became the prototype and sister organization for satellite groups worldwide, with strong bonds that continue today through the International Association of Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Societies. Some of these include genomics, epigenomics and epigenetics, bioinformatics, gene editing, and I in silico i approaches to elucidating genotoxicity/carcinogenicity. [Extracted from the article]

Presents abstracts of studies on physiological effect of gravity and space presented at the Experimental Biology/International Union of Physiological Sciences 2005 congress held in San Diego, California. "Plasma Protein Synthesis After Space Flight," by T. Peter Stein and Margaret D. Schluter; "Respiratory Muscle Strength is Maintained During 6 Months of Exposure to Microgravity," by G. Kim Prisk, Janelle M. Fine, et al; "Heterogeneity of Responses to Orthostatic Stress in Homozygous Twins," by Deborah O'Leary, Richard J. Kevin, et al.

The article presents an interview with former chairman of the London Regional Group Oliver de Peyer on topics including his postdoctoral project at the National Institute for Medical Research (NESTA), astrobiology, and life at high altitudes.

This article focuses on information service in bioastronautics. In a new field such as bioastronautics, the information service should be mission or project-oriented, and its primary objective should be the projecting and extrapolating of available information for research and development purposes. It is the working "astrobiologist" who can best make these projections and extrapolations, thus providing a strong argument for timely abstracting services and local access to the literature.